


The Things That Shape Us

by zephsomething



Series: Surviving the War [27]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 10:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16721676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephsomething/pseuds/zephsomething
Summary: There are stains that don't wash out and sometimes Pansy and Draco fight about it.





	The Things That Shape Us

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to give each of these characters a chance to grow up.

“There are some stains that don’t wash out Draco.” Pansy snapped the words at him and Astoria wasn’t even sure what had started the argument. She’d walked into the room after it started.

“You think I don’t know that?” His words were no less pointed, his left arm was tucked tight to his side. “We can be better!”

“Just like that?” Her fingers threw sparks as she snapped them. “Just because we want to?”

“Because we can try Pansy!” He threw his hands out. “Isn’t anything better?”

“High bar you’ve got there.” There was that sneer she didn’t mean as much as she wanted to in the moment.

“At least I’m trying! You’re just stewing.”

“You never leave here and the ministry. You have no idea what it’s like out there.” She snarled the words. “The stares and the glares in the street.”

“And what do you want me to do?” He deflated as quickly as he’d leapt to fighting. “At least you’re not…”

“Marked? Do you think it matters that much to them?” It was still almost a snarl but the fight was leaving her too. “We were all marked from the moment the hat called us snakes.”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t be better.” Astoria said into the heartbeat of silence that followed Pansy’s word.

“You were always braver tha-”

“Bravery doesn’t have it’s place here and you know it.” She wrapped her small hand around Pansy’s larger ones. “I was ambitious and cunning and resourceful and that’s all there is to it.”

“Yeah but for the right side.” And she hissed out ‘right’ like it was trying to be a sneer but couldn’t quite make it, like it was a condemnation.

“I know you saw it too.” Astoria patted her hand before moving to sit on the arm of Draco’s chair. “I saw bullies on one side and children on the other, it was the same fight I’d been fighting since my first year, my targets just got more dangerous.”

“And the stakes got higher.” Draco agreed quietly. “We all did what we thought we needed to.”

Pansy looked down at her hands like there were stains there, under the ink marks and calluses. Her shoulders shifted in what was almost a shrug. “Maybe, I’ve never been good at being better though.”

“So sharpen your edges and find bigger targets.” Astoria shrugged when Pansy looked up at her with wide eyes.

“Bigger targets…” Behind her wide eyes Astoria could see Pansy’s mind going to work. She made a noise of agreement as Pansy looked down at her hands again, at the ink stains. Astoria was almost excited to see the next story Pansy ran for the Prophet.


End file.
